Combined shield, shaker, and conveyer for crucibles.



N0. 673.2!2. Patented Apr. 30, I901.

. W. S. MATHEB. COMBINED SHIELD, SHAKER, AND CONVEYEB FOR .CRUGIBLES.

(Application filed Aug. 9, 1900,) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shem I.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR 7 17 @S., JT/.Emtm'm,

- ATTORNEY rm: uonms PETERS cu" PHOTO-LUNG WASNINGTON, a. c.

No. 673,2l2. Patented Apr. 30, I90l.

w. s. MATHER. COMBINED SHIELD, SHAKER, AND CONVEYER FOR GRUCIBLES.

(Application filgd Aug. 9,1900.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

: NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM S. MATI-IER, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

COMBINED SHIELD, SHAKER,AND CONVEYER FOR CRUCIBLES.

SPECIFICATION formingpart Of Letters Patent No. 673,212, dated April 30,1901.

Application filed August 9, 1900. Serial No. 26,361. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM S. MATHER, a citizen of the United States,residing at New ark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Shield,Shaker, and Conveyer for Crucibles; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part ofthis specification.

This invention relates to that class of crucible-shakers illustrated bymy prior patents, No. 650,648, issued May 29, 1900, and my application,Serial No. 14,390, filed April 26, 1900, and allowed June 25, 1900; andthe objects of the present invention are to prevent in some measure thecooling of the crucible, to relieve the workmen from the radiated heatfrom the crucible, to enable the crucible to be held more firmly, tofacilitate the handling and moving of the same, and to secure otheradvantages and results, some of which may be referred to hereinafter inconnection with the description of the working parts.

The invention consists in the combined shield, shaker, and conveyor forcrucibles and in the arrangements and combinations of parts of the same,all substantially as will be hereinafter set forth and finally embracedin the clauses of the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters ofreference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several views,Figure 1 isa side view of my improved shaker as applied to a crucible.Fig. 2 is an edge View of the same, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a planof the base-plate, and Fig. 4 shows a modification of the same. Fig. 5shows a modified form of the device in open position. Fig. 6 is aperspective View of a base-plate for the construction shown in Fig. 5.Fig. 7 is a side view of the modified shaker applied to a crucible andbeing partly in section, and Fig. 8 is an edge view of the same.

In said drawings, a indicates a crucible, and b the preferred form ofbase-plate upon which said crucible is stood in operation. Saidbase-plate 1) comprises a flat piece of sheet metal supported above theground by Fig. 3, or perforated, as at d Fig. 4:, to receive the lowerextremities of the jaws of the implement and hold said lower ends fixedwhile the upper end is vigorously oscillated in operating the device.

The combined shield, shaker, and conveyor proper preferably comprisesmembers 6 e, hinged upon a common pivot, as at e. Above said pivot thetwo members form graspinghandles c and below the pivot they are bentoutward, as at 6 at substantially right angles to points distant fromeach other by about the diameter of the crucible and are then bentdownward at right angles to form jaws e adapted to lie at opposite sidesof the crucible. To the inner sides of said jaws are secured curvedprotecting-plates f, conforming to the shape of the crucible, and eachbeing in height about equal to the height of the crucible and extendingin horizontal direction half way around the same. Said plates are ofsheet-metal body portion f, lined next to the crucible with asbestos for the like, the two layers being held together by transverse cleats gatthe inner side, which are riveted to the layers f f 2 and to the jaws eof the tongs. These cleats serve to hold the asbestos from close contactwith the hot crucible. At the same time they give rigidity to the curvedplates. The protectingplates may extend clear down to the baseplate I),the pins 0 being set outwardly far enough to admit the same betweenthemselves and the crucible, or the plates may be cut off, so as to notextend down to the tops of the pins, as shown in Figs. '7 and 8. Thejaws e extend at their lower ends beyond the protecting-plates and formprojecting tips 6 adapted to enter the notches or perforations in thebase-plate b and afiord a fulcrum for swinging the device to shake thecrucible, as will be understood. Preferably both of the the hot crucibleand shield the workmen from jaws e enter the base-plate, as thusdescribed; but, if desired,'only one can so enter andthe' otherterminate short of the base-plate.

In Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8 I have illustrated a modification ofconstruction in which the jaws e of the implement both terminate shortof the baseplate j and said base-plate has no sockets, but is insteadprovided at one side with an upward extension h, slotted from its upperend downward, as at h, and having a pin 1' across said slot.

One jaw e of the implement is provided at: its outer side with a fingeris, extending out from the jaw and then downward'in the same generaldirection therewith, as shown in Fig.

5. When, therefore, the im plementis applied to the crucible, the fingerk hooks over the pin 71 of the base-plate extension h and lies in theslot h, supporting the implement and at the same time permitting itsshaking move-. ment Without any danger of dislodgment.

It will be understood that the curved protecting-plates f of my devicein use surround the heat as well as prevent the cooling of the crucibleto a low temperature. Again, the pivotal members 9 of the deviceconnecting said protecting-plates enable the crucible to be shaken in anappropriate manner while inclosed by the plates, and, furthermore, thepivoted members 6 enable the crucible to be lifted and conveyed fromplace to place by the device, since the application of the lifting forceat the upper ends of the handles e has been found in practice to forcethe plates f so firmly against the crucible that the same may be liftedfrom its base-plate without danger of dropping. To facilitate thisconveying action of my invention, I may provide one or both of thehandles e with an eye e at the extremity and adapted to be engaged byany suitable lifting means.

I thus combine in a single device a shield, a shaker, and a conveyer forcrucibles and provide an implement which can be used to great advantagein smelting crucible-steel and similar processes.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is 1. In acrucible-shaker, the combination with means for receiving the base ofthe crucible and holdingit against lateral movement, of a combinedshield and shaking-lever, having jaws pivoted together and provided withcurved plates adapted to inclose the crucible, substantially as setforth.

2. In a crucible-shaker, the combination with means for holding the baseof the crucible from lateral movement, of a shaking-lever having jawspivoted together and provided with inwardly-facing curved plates havinga lining of non-conductive material and adapted to inclose the crucible,and means for fulcrumally supporting said lever upon the base-plates,substantially as set forth.

3. In a crucible-shaker, the combination with means for holding the baseof the crucible from lateral movement, of a shaking-la ver having jawspivoted together and adapted to lie at the sidevof the crucible, andprotecting-plates at the inner sides of said jaws curved in conformityto the crucible and adapted to together inclose the crucible when thejaws are closed, substantially as set forth.

4. In a crucible-shaker, the combination with a base-plate holding thebottom of the crucible from lateralmovement, of a shakinglever havinghandles extending away from the crucible and jaws for grasping thecrucible at opposite sides, oppositely-disposed protecting-platescarried by thesaid jaws and adapted. to inclose the crucible, and saidshakinglever being fulcrumed upon the base-plate, substantially as setforth.

5. In a cruci-ble-shaker, the combination of a base-plate adapted tosupport the crucible and hold its base against lateral movement, ashaking-lever having jaws pivoted together and adapted to grasp thecrucible longitudinally of its length, and curved protectingplates onthe grasping-faces of said jaws and adapted to cover the sides of thecrucible, substantially as set forth.

6. In a crucible-shaker, the combination with a base-plate havingsockets, of a shaking-lever having jaws pivoted together and adapted tograsp the crucible at opposite sides and extend longitudinally thereof,the extremities of said jaws entering the sockets in the base-plate andthe jaws being provided back from said extremities with curvedprotecting-plates adapted to embrace the crucible, substantially as setforth.

7. In a crucible-shaker, the combination of a base-plate havingprojections to prevent lateral movement of the bottom of the crucible,and a shaking-lever extending upward from said plate in the generaldirection of the crucible and comprising members hinged together abovethe crucible, the ends above the hinge forming handles and those belowbeing bent into jaws adapted to extend downward at the sides of thecrucible, said lever being fulcrumed on .the base-plate and its jawshaving semicylindrical protecting-plates adapted to inclose thecrucible, substantially as set forth.

8. In a crucible-shaker, the combination with a base-plate, of acombined shield, shaking-lever, and conveyer, comprising pivoted membershaving jaws adapted to grasp the crucible, and protecting plates uponsaid jaws for inclosing the crucible, one of said jaws having fulcrumalbearings on the baseplate and one of the lever members having an eye toreceive lifting means,'substantially as set forth.

9. In a crucible-shaker, the combination with a shaking-lever comprisingmembers pivoted together and having jaws adapted to grasp the crucible,of heat-shields or protect- In testimony that I claim the foregoing Iing-plates carried upon said jaws and being have hereunto set my handthis 31st day of IO curved inwardly toward each other to inclose July,1900. the crucible, said shields having a sheet- 5 metal body portion, anon-conductive lining WILLIAM MATHER' and cleats holding said liningfrom direct Witnesses: contact with the crucible, substantially as setCHARLES H. PELL, forth. 0. B. PITNEY.

